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Valanites
Valanites “There is joy in temperance: freedom achieved through self-control. Taking the right course brings us away from the tyranny of our lesser impulses.” ''-Act 3 “The Path” of “Plays of Valan” by High Priest Alexandros Pike'' The followers of Valan make their homes in the fertile flatlands of Orinia, south of Kronland. They were the first to grace the new lands with human presence. Their predecessors left the old lands as a varied group of survivors willing to listen to Valan’s warnings of cataclysm as the plague began. Subjugated by the combined might of the north and Kronland quickly after their arrivals, they still value independence, though most accept their subsidiary status as a vassal of Kreisgrad. They often refer to the Autocracy as separate to their republic despite the intrinsic ties between the two. Valanites most often operate as raiders and skirmishers when called to war due to a less rigid military tradition and a cultural affinity for hunting. Having a much less centralized population and generally preferring a more rural lifestyle, Valanites are often more used to the wilderness than the townsfolk of the north and city dwellers of Kronland. Valanites would be able to blend in with either of the other two regions except for their bright purple eyes, the same eyes that defined their god. Valanite Culture The southerners tend to value fair dealings and a direct attitude. Though warm and inviting outwardly, they are often suspicious of outside interference. This has been noted to infuriate Autocratic representatives as often they can leave a fact-finding tour with a warm attitude, not realizing they learned nothing until they are on the road home. A common cultural faux pas in Orinia committed by outsiders is asking for someone else to do something the person asking could do themselves, for instance if someone is cannot walk and needs help up stairs. One can be offered assistance but it is shameful to ask unless the person cannot do it themselves, unless the person asking is a direct superior. A commander can order his men, a plot owner can tell his farmers what to do, but a guest at an inn is not supposed to ask for water. Conversely, not giving one the tools or ability to fulfill a need is rude. If an inn owner does not have a well or other way to get water/refreshments this is tantamount to denying their patrons. This makes Valanites seem very inviting as they are often offering help but makes things like restaurant etiquette difficult to outsiders. Secessionists A group known as the “Sons of Orin” seized the Cursed powering three massive farms in Orinia. This unprecedented act of secession threatens to bring the full power of the ASH into conflict with its longtime vassal. The Valanites endlessly debate in the senate, fearing a full response will see the militias refuse to fight their countrymen or worse: join their cause. A few key crops are now difficult to find and the normally vibrant marketplaces look halfway empty. Additional stores must be sent to the Duralian Kronlands, further deepening the simmering discontent. Orinia Their fierce defensiveness and hardy colonial roots are well suited to the republic the Valanites made for themselves. Plot-owners of communal farms get to vote and although the richest are most represented, their system is entirely unique. Named Orinia for the first wife of Valan, it is a relatively sparsely populated area. Horses are extremely common to navigate the massive communal farms. At war, Valanites are generally skilled light cavalry, skirmishers, and horse archers. Owning a large swathe of the coastline on the new continent proper and referring to it as the “lesser empire”, Orinia is the most rebellious area, hindered in finding independence by hesitation to starve fellow humans and lacking the manpower to take on the other two nations of the ASH juggernaut.